US8925985B2 - Garden tool - Google Patents

Garden tool Download PDF

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Publication number
US8925985B2
US8925985B2 US14/237,467 US201214237467A US8925985B2 US 8925985 B2 US8925985 B2 US 8925985B2 US 201214237467 A US201214237467 A US 201214237467A US 8925985 B2 US8925985 B2 US 8925985B2
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jaw
garden tool
gripping
plane
jaws
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US14/237,467
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US20140183887A1 (en
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Jeff Wyles
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
    • A01B1/00—Hand tools
    • A01B1/16—Tools for uprooting weeds
    • A01B1/18—Tong-like tools
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
    • A01B1/00—Hand tools
    • A01B1/16—Tools for uprooting weeds

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to garden tools and more specifically, to hand operable weeding tools.
  • U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,061,175 and 5,375,401 and 5,535,833 show grip type weeding apparatuses utilizing a cutting blade and a pivotal claw arranged to close against the surface of the blade thus pinching the weed for removal.
  • These types of tools tend to be somewhat useful for picking up weeds and debris but fail to be effective for pulling plant material from the ground due to their single point or narrow edge pinching mechanisms which apply their gripping pressure over a very small surface area. This tends to crush and tear or sever the plant material at a concentrated pinch area instead of holding it firm enough to be pulled out of the soil intact.
  • U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,234,241 and 7,063,168 and 7,845,696 show various methods utilizing a plurality of spikes or blades coming together to trap the plant and root structure to be removed.
  • Some of the above noted tools are effective in removal of larger weeds with tough tap roots, for example dandelions typical in lawns, but they are generally large cumbersome tools designed for use by a standing operator using both hands and sometimes feet as well. These tools are generally expensive to manufacture and do not address the issue of smaller weeds and grasses most common among typical vegetable or flower gardens where a smaller hand operated tool suitable for both tap root weeds and multi-rootlet type weeds would be better suited.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 2,239,108 the jaws come together at a relatively narrow peak along their length and again this dull knife-edge tends to concentrate forces, severing tender roots instead of gripping them for removal.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,619 shows an improvement in gripping and leverage but does not address the vital root system as the above ground stem is the only portion of the plant grasped and often the stem snaps leaving the underground roots in place to grow again.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,065 shows an improvement in gripping technology using rubber gripping pads but due to the blunt design necessitates first digging around the weed or plant to expose the root structure for gripping adding unnecessary work and in addition the handle structure is not user friendly.
  • the present invention is directed at improved methods and apparatus for hand weeding gardens and mainly resides in the formation of the gripping jaw.
  • One aspect of the claimed invention provides a plier like hand tool having a jaw with a distributed force gripping zone. This gripping zone acts to distribute, rather than concentrate, gripping forces in order to effectively grip and remove weeds and other plants, including their roots, from the soil without crushing, severing, or breaking roots, and without clogging the apparatus.
  • Another aspect of the claimed invention provides a tool as above with the gripping zone having an opening that allows the soil and weed debris to exit the tool upon repetitive use.
  • a preferred embodiment uses opposing jaws pivotally coupled and biased to a normally open position and takes advantage of a distributed force gripping zone.
  • the jaws have teeth and gripping surfaces, not necessarily perpendicular to the plane of jaw rotation, such that when the jaws are closed a space remains between the gripping surfaces to prevent crushing the plant material.
  • the space can be tapered narrower towards the tip of the jaw.
  • a portion of up to 95% in area of the distributed force gripping zone can comprise a space between jaw walls and/or an opening through which soil and plant debris can exit upon repetitive use making the tool more effective and self cleaning.
  • a preferred embodiment is compact and fully operable with only one hand but a larger embodiment made for two handed use in firm soil or on larger stubborn weeds, can have an elongated or extendible handle or be adapted to accept a longer handle.
  • a handle can be comprised of more than one material and generally has a profile that prevents a users hand from slipping on the handle when applying force to it.
  • An embodiment can use handles inline with the jaw axis but in a preferred embodiment handles are at an angle to the jaw axis.
  • Another contemplated embodiment employs a force multiplying system to increase the force being applied to the jaws and in yet another embodiment a portion of the jaws are sharpened for use as a shear type cutter for additional functionality.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the claimed invention in an open biased state.
  • FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the embodiment in FIG. 1 in a closed state.
  • FIG. 3 is a side elevation view depicting the embodiment in FIG. 1 in use.
  • FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the embodiment in FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the embodiment in FIG. 1
  • FIG. 6 is a front view of the embodiment in FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the jaw section of the embodiment in FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the jaws in an open state according to the embodiment in FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8 only depicting the jaws in a closed state
  • FIG. 10 is a side view of a second embodiment of the claimed invention with handles inline with the jaws and a cutter.
  • FIG. 1 there is depicted one embodiment of the claimed invention generally referenced by numeral 10 portraying a basic concept of the inventive matter.
  • the garden tool 10 comprising a first member 12 and a second member 14 pivotally coupled at a pivot point 16 by a pivot pin 18 .
  • a portion of first member 12 defines a first handle 20
  • a portion of second member 14 defines a second handle 22 .
  • Another portion of member 12 defines a first jaw 30
  • another portion of member 14 defines a second jaw 32 .
  • the jaws 30 and 32 are fastened to the handles 20 and 22 with rivets 28 .
  • the jaws can also be fastened to the handles by screws, or glue, or any other suitable mechanical or non-mechanical means.
  • the jaws can also be insert molded or cast into the handles or made as an integral part of the handles, for example an entire member can be formed from one piece of sheet metal or formed in a single piece molding or casting.
  • the jaws are preferably made from stainless steel sheet metal but can be made from any suitable material including those that are castable or moldable and those that are not.
  • the pivot pin 18 in a preferred embodiment comprises a threaded metal bolt and nut 66 .
  • Other pivot pins, methods, and materials, suitable for the application are also contemplated including screw and washer fastening methods, rivets, dowels, shafts, or pins of suitable material.
  • the pivot on an alternate injection molded embodiment (not shown) is contemplated as being an integral shaft protrusion acting as the pivot pin on one member and a mated integral bearing on the other member with a screw and washer securing the two members in a rotational coupling.
  • the jaws are biased to an open state as depicted in FIG. 1 by a torsion spring 62 that fits in a cavity 60 in handle 20 as shown in FIG. 5 .
  • Other suitable biasing means mechanical and non-mechanical, are contemplated, including but not limited to, all manner of springs, magnets, pneumatics, and manual force.
  • a preferred embodiment is made to be fully operable with only one hand without the need to dig around and expose weed roots for gripping.
  • the jaws are generally profiled to easily penetrate garden soil around a subject plant.
  • a preferred embodiment incorporates ergonomic design including for example, texture for grip, appropriate handle shape and curvature to provide comfortable handgrip, wrist angle, and fatigue reduction.
  • a preferred embodiment is lightweight at less than 1 kilogram, preferably less than 500 grams and more preferably less than 250 grams.
  • the handles 20 and 22 in a preferred embodiment are made of injection molded resin.
  • the handles can also be made of wood, metal, or any suitable hard or soft material including materials that are castable or moldable, and those that are not. Handles can also be made of multiple materials, some which might include for example soft plastic, foam, or rubber coatings. The additional materials can give more textured surfaces to enhance grip or further enhance comfort, for example with softness, warmth or cushion.
  • Both handles 20 and 22 in a preferred embodiment extend from their associated jaw on the same side of the jaw axis 34 at a handle angle 36 .
  • the specific handle angle is to be understood as non-limiting and as contemplated and shown in the embodiment of FIG. 10 can even be parallel to the jaw axis.
  • the specific handle angle is a design choice dependent on the shape and profile of the handles and jaws of the embodiment. For example, while an embodiment can have up to a 90 degree handle angle, in my preferred embodiment I have found that an angle 36 of approximately 50 degrees is most comfortable and allows the most versatility of use. However an embodiment with elongated handles designed for use while sitting functions better with a lessor angle of approximately 25 degrees while straight embodiment or one designed for a standing user can be effective with no angle at all. It should also be noted that a handle might also be defined as a lever in certain embodiments.
  • FIG. 1 embodiment shows a projection 24 , on handle 22 , which gives a profile providing a brace for the operators' hand, between a thumb and forefinger, preventing the hand from sliding towards the pivot point 16 when force is applied to the tool while inserting it into a soil medium.
  • a similar projection 26 is shown for the operator's fingers on handle 20 . It is contemplated that multiple smaller ergonomic projections can also be used, for example including one for each finger. A protrusion can be added to prevent the hand from slipping in the other direction as well. It is contemplated that one or both handles can be elongated or telescopically extendible.
  • a longer handle allows for a two-handed grip, may facilitate stand up use, and can be useful for increased pressure application against a harder soil medium or bigger weed.
  • the jaws or handles can be adapted to accept connectable handles of different lengths.
  • a handle or a jaw could be adapted, as shown (not to scale) in FIGS. 10 27 ( a ) and 27 ( h ) representing possible areas to accept a standard threaded broom handle or other suitable threaded or unthreaded handles.
  • FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the jaw portion of a preferred embodiment showing jaws 30 and 32 having a distributed force gripping zone 40 comprising, physical gripping surfaces 42 , teeth 44 , and a perimeter 46 around a jaw wall 48 defining an opening 50 .
  • the opening 50 defining a non-physical gripping area, leads to an open passageway 52 between the jaw walls as depicted in FIG. 8 .
  • the opening 50 and open passageway 52 improve the distributed force gripping zone by relieving crushing forces on a large area and enabling a flow through design of a jaw allowing repeated use with minimal build up of debris. It seems counter intuitive that a non-existent or non-physical gripping surface area, defined by the opening and passageway between the jaw walls and comprising up to 95% of the gripping zone, would still function without a significant physical surface to work with. Surprisingly though, I have found that providing an opening by removing a portion of the gripping surface, including up to the entire gripping surface that would otherwise form the base of a channel formed by the jaw walls does not affect the function of the gripping zone.
  • the weed crown, main root and surrounding soil are held within the confines of the gripping zone, including the open passageway, while the branching rootlets are held within the space between the teeth. No crushing, pinching, or severing of the weed occurs and entire weed is easily removed from the soil. Only one jaw needs to have this unrestricted open passageway to be effective, however having two or more jaws with this feature is superior.
  • an opening does not have to comprise such a large portion of the gripping zone to still be effective at improving the distribution of forces and reducing the crushing effect of a normal gripping zone.
  • FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are sectional views of the jaws depicting them in open and closed states respectively.
  • FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show gripping surfaces 42 and teeth 44 in this embodiment are formed at an angle 70 other than perpendicular to a plane 72 of jaw rotation or in this case the jaw wall 48 .
  • the plane 72 of jaw rotation being the plane the jaws move in when opening and closing.
  • the jaw walls can also be angled to plane 72 either positively or negatively but in the preferred embodiment they are parallel.
  • the angle 70 of the gripping surfaces increases the surface area available for the distribution of gripping forces while reducing crush points.
  • FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 show the jaws in a preferred embodiment have a bend at an angle 38 A that brings each left and right jaw wall to meet at their distal ends where the angle is reversed 38 B and they are fastened together with a spacer 64 between them.
  • the spacer 64 can be spot welded or riveted in place or even eliminated.
  • the spacing can be accomplished by other means, for example the distal end of a jaw wall can have an angled tab, either vertical or horizontal, which meets and is joined to a tab from, or directly to, the other wall to form the spacing between the distal ends. If a space is not desired, the distal ends of the jaws can simply be joined together.
  • the entire jaw can also be formed from a piece of tubing or one piece of sheet metal bent to shape.
  • Angle 38 A enables the formation of a wedge shaped space between the jaw walls that increases in size towards the pivot point 16 .
  • the wedge shaped space allows the jaw walls to act as additional gripping surfaces as a substance is pulled by distributing gripping forces to a larger volume of substance and increasing holding power through a jamming or packing of the wedge space, rather than a crushing action. Again, this further distribution of forces is particularly useful when pulling on weeds as it avoids over pinching and severing roots, a problem that plagues other weed gripping tools.
  • a less preferred embodiment does not have angle 38 A or 38 B and the space between the jaw walls forms a generally rectangular, oval, or similar shape, that is slightly less effective as it does not increase the holding power by the wedge packing action but still remains very effective.
  • tooth and teeth are used herein to mean an element from a class of both shapes, including ridges, groves, undulations, columns, pointed, rounded, dull, sharp, faceted, smooth, jagged, large, small, and of materials, including those that are hard, and soft, protruding from the jaw or comprising a gripping surface.
  • teeth with an angle of approximately 45 degrees inward or outward relative to the plane of jaw rotation provide additional force distributing surface areas and reduce the chance of severing a root.
  • Other angles, for example 20 degrees or 65 degrees also work although somewhat less effectively and non angled teeth are the least effective as they provide minimal distribution of forces.
  • FIG. 10 is a side view of a second embodiment of the claimed invention wherein the handles are essentially parallel with the jaw axis 34 and wherein a portion of the jaws near the pivot are adapted to work together as a shear type cutter 80 for additional functionality.
  • An adjustable locking bail is depicted in FIG. 10 .
  • the bail 82 in FIG. 10 has a threaded nut and bolt making it adjustable so that it can also function as a force multiplier to increase the pressure applied to the jaws when gripping a substance.
  • Further embodiments are contemplated having other force multiplying components to increase the gripping force exerted by the jaws. Force multiplication can be achieved in many ways including for example, additional members and pivot points, cam and follower systems, or divergent slot and pin systems.
  • the claimed invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the description or illustrative drawings herein as such may of course vary.
  • the claimed present invention can comprise a multitude of other tooth and or jaw geometry's, profiles, and or configurations.
  • the relative angle between the jaws and handles can be any degree and the handles can be attached to elongated handle sections possibly including lever mechanisms for stand up use and or can employ various known force multiplying methods to the handles or jaws.
  • handles depicted can be formed in or have added to them any of the many possible ergonomic shapes and or materials for functionality and comfort.
  • the present description is a simplistic form of the claimed invention and has used a construction of sheet metal attached to a molded handle for illustrative example.
  • the claimed invention can be manufactured in many other forms and with materials including but not limited to sheet or cast materials, coated materials, laminated or machined materials, injection molded materials including reinforced polymers, natural materials including wood, or combinations thereof.
  • Other fabrication methods including die-casting, laminating, machining, injection molding, and stamping can be used to manufacture a device incorporating the claimed invention. Any such forms, embodiments, or materials and methods of manufacture would be considered to fall within the scope and intent of the claims of the present invention.
  • compositions and methods of a gardening tool have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure Moreover, in interpreting the disclosure, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Soil Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
US14/237,467 2012-06-26 2012-06-26 Garden tool Active US8925985B2 (en)

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PCT/CA2012/050424 WO2014000080A1 (fr) 2012-06-26 2012-06-26 Outil de jardin

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US20140183887A1 US20140183887A1 (en) 2014-07-03
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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20160066495A1 (en) * 2014-09-05 2016-03-10 Huy Dao Gardening devices for extracting roots and related methods
US20200077575A1 (en) * 2017-02-23 2020-03-12 Cixi Huazhijie Plastic Product Co., Ltd. Seedling Transplanting Device
US12318898B2 (en) 2021-06-17 2025-06-03 9223-1620 Quebec Inc. Locking pliers and other gripping tools

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD826025S1 (en) 2016-12-22 2018-08-21 Unger Marketing International, Llc Trigger handle
USD809374S1 (en) 2016-12-22 2018-02-06 Unger Marketing International, Llc Gripping head
US9878444B1 (en) 2016-12-22 2018-01-30 Unger Marketing International, Llc Reaching and grasping tool with improved gripping heads
SI25364A (sl) 2017-02-07 2018-08-31 JoĹľe Vrhunc Vrtnarsko orodje
CN107548579B (zh) * 2017-09-04 2021-02-23 王婉真 一种用于杂草清除的夹持装置
US12376877B2 (en) * 2021-02-01 2025-08-05 Olympus Medical Systems Corp. Treatment device
EP4197702B1 (fr) * 2021-12-17 2025-11-26 Protools Holding B.V. Outil manuel pourvu de manche

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US437466A (en) 1890-09-30 Dandelion digger and puller
US2239108A (en) 1939-12-26 1941-04-22 Louis H Lindemann Weed puller
US4274619A (en) 1979-10-22 1981-06-23 Redmond William C Weed extraction apparatus
GB2081170A (en) 1980-07-17 1982-02-17 Hughes Malcolm Shuttleworth A Gripping Tool Primarily Suitable for Use in the Garden
US6536819B2 (en) * 2001-02-28 2003-03-25 Columbia Insurance Company Tongs with clamp and stop means
US6966269B2 (en) 2002-12-18 2005-11-22 Brian Sawatzky Multi-purpose garden tool
USD530459S1 (en) * 2004-12-16 2006-10-17 Esther Catherine White Pet waste retrieval and disposal tool
USD555309S1 (en) * 2005-10-25 2007-11-13 Pontzious H Dean Scouring pad clamp with scraper for grill cleaning
US7314095B2 (en) * 2004-09-14 2008-01-01 Cobb Delwin E Gardening tool
US20090066101A1 (en) * 2007-09-12 2009-03-12 Yong-Hoon Cho Easy view tweezers

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US437466A (en) 1890-09-30 Dandelion digger and puller
US2239108A (en) 1939-12-26 1941-04-22 Louis H Lindemann Weed puller
US4274619A (en) 1979-10-22 1981-06-23 Redmond William C Weed extraction apparatus
GB2081170A (en) 1980-07-17 1982-02-17 Hughes Malcolm Shuttleworth A Gripping Tool Primarily Suitable for Use in the Garden
US6536819B2 (en) * 2001-02-28 2003-03-25 Columbia Insurance Company Tongs with clamp and stop means
US20030107226A1 (en) * 2001-02-28 2003-06-12 Columbia Insurance Company Tongs with clamp and stop means
US6966269B2 (en) 2002-12-18 2005-11-22 Brian Sawatzky Multi-purpose garden tool
US7314095B2 (en) * 2004-09-14 2008-01-01 Cobb Delwin E Gardening tool
USD530459S1 (en) * 2004-12-16 2006-10-17 Esther Catherine White Pet waste retrieval and disposal tool
USD555309S1 (en) * 2005-10-25 2007-11-13 Pontzious H Dean Scouring pad clamp with scraper for grill cleaning
US20090066101A1 (en) * 2007-09-12 2009-03-12 Yong-Hoon Cho Easy view tweezers

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20160066495A1 (en) * 2014-09-05 2016-03-10 Huy Dao Gardening devices for extracting roots and related methods
US20200077575A1 (en) * 2017-02-23 2020-03-12 Cixi Huazhijie Plastic Product Co., Ltd. Seedling Transplanting Device
US10687459B2 (en) * 2017-02-23 2020-06-23 Cixi Huazhijie Plastic Product Co., Ltd. Seedling transplanting device
US12318898B2 (en) 2021-06-17 2025-06-03 9223-1620 Quebec Inc. Locking pliers and other gripping tools

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Publication number Publication date
WO2014000080A1 (fr) 2014-01-03
US20140183887A1 (en) 2014-07-03
CA2875320A1 (fr) 2014-01-03
CA2875320C (fr) 2015-12-15

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